The Wolf's Obsession

Chapter 8: Broken Vows.

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Isabella's mind reeled, her heart in pieces as she tried to make sense of everything. Alessandro-the man she had trusted, the man who had protected her, trained her, and opened a part of himself to her-had been using her from the beginning. The weight of betrayal settled like lead in her chest, crushing and unrelenting.

De Luca watched her with a twisted satisfaction, reveling in the torment he'd unleashed. Alessandro, standing before her with barely concealed desperation, looked at her as if his entire world was slipping through his fingers. She wanted to turn away, wanted to escape this nightmare, but her feet were rooted to the spot, caught between anger and hurt, a prisoner to the chaos around her.

"Isabella," Alessandro murmured, his voice barely a whisper, yet every syllable laced with a pain that mirrored her own. "Please... let me explain."

But De Luca cut in, his gun still pointed directly at Alessandro. "Enough of these lies, Alessandro. You've run out of chances."

Alessandro's gaze hardened as he straightened, his protective stance unwavering. "If you want her, you'll have to go through me first, Lorenzo."

The two men stood locked in a silent battle of wills, their shared history stretching between them like a wound that would never heal. De Luca's smile faded, his eyes cold and calculating.

"Fine," De Luca said, his tone deadly calm. "You know, Alessandro, I've spent years waiting for this moment, years watching you rise to power, all the while knowing you were nothing more than an orphan clinging to the empire we built. You think she deserves to be by your side? She deserves to know the truth."

Alessandro's jaw tightened, a flicker of pain crossing his face, but he didn't flinch, his eyes locked on De Luca with deadly intent.

"Enough," Alessandro growled, his voice barely controlled. "She has nothing to do with our past."

"Nothing to do with our past?" De Luca laughed, a harsh, empty sound. "She's everything, Alessandro. And you couldn't even tell her the truth."

Isabella felt as if she were watching a storm unleash before her, a dark, terrible force she was helpless to stop. She found her voice, her words choked with raw emotion. "Tell me the truth, Alessandro," she demanded, her voice trembling. "Is he right? Did you bring me here to use me?"

Alessandro's eyes softened, a tortured look filling his gaze. "It's not that simple, Isabella. I... I thought keeping you close would protect you, that it was the only way to keep De Luca away. But I swear, I never meant to hurt you. I never meant for any of this."

His words hung heavy in the air, the truth and regret palpable. But Isabella couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal, the pain that twisted in her chest as she realized just how deeply he had deceived her.

"I don't know what to believe anymore," she whispered, stepping back, her gaze a mixture of sorrow and fury. "You used me, Alessandro. I trusted you, and you-"

The sound of gunfire shattered the moment, ricocheting off the walls as De Luca's men closed in. Alessandro's reflexes were lightning-fast; he spun around, shielding her with his body as he fired back, his movements fluid despite his injured shoulder. Isabella ducked behind him, her heart hammering as bullets whizzed past them.

"Stay close," Alessandro hissed, his voice urgent. "We need to get out of here-now."

He grabbed her hand, leading her down the narrow corridor, their steps echoing in unison as they navigated through the shadows. The mansion was a maze, its twisting passages seeming to close in around them as De Luca's men gave chase, their footsteps growing louder with each passing second.